Think Services. Supporting manufacturing companies in their move toward services

This paper discusses the use of Service Design to support manufacturing companies in a shift towards services. It uses a program of knowledge exchange for small medium enterprises (SMEs) conducted at Lancaster University, as a case study to investigate and illustrate the role Service Design can play in traditional product centred companies. Through investigation of the concepts and implications of the new service dominant paradigms, the authors suggest how designers can facilitate a reframing process, within manufacturing SMEs, leading to a new understanding of value that can ultimately activate a company transformation.